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Everything that goes down the kitchen, laundry and bathroom sink or is flushed down the toilet ends up in the sewerage system.
What you can flush
Only ever flush the 3 P's:
1. Poo
2. Pee
3. (Toilet) Paper.
What you shouldn't rinse or flush
You can help us keep the pipes flowing and protect the environment by properly disposing things that don’t belong down the sink or toilet. You shouldn't rinse or flush the items below:
- wet wipes and facial tissues
- plastics
- motor oils, paints or pesticides
- non-biodegradable products
- fats, oils or food scraps
- cotton buds, nappies, condoms, sanitary products and wrappers
- medicines.
We spend around $480,000 a year fixing blocked pipes and pumps after unsuitable materials have found their way into the system. That’s money we shouldn’t need to spend. Help us by doing your bit to reduce the blockages.
Handy hints
We suggest you follow these handy hints:
- Use a sink strainer to prevent food scraps and other household waste from going down the drain. Consider using a compost heap for your food scraps.
- Pour kitchen fats and oils into a container. Seal it and throw it in the bin.
- Wipe greasy pots and pans with a paper towel before washing.
- Dispose of items such as cotton buds, nappies, condoms, sanitary products and their wrappers in the household rubbish.
- Use less detergent. The average household uses three times more detergent than manufacturers recommend.
- Choose a washing detergent with a low salt content. Concentrated detergents often contain much less salt than conventional varieties.
- Ask your local pharmacy or council for advice on how to dispose of medicines and hazardous chemicals.
What happens if they do go into the system?
These products can cause:
- damaged pipes and pumps
- blocked pipes and pumps which may impact your property or your neighbour's property
- harm to the environment.